Door and doorway construction



Dec. 1, 193 6. o s 2,062,899

DOOR AND DOORWAY CONSTRUCTION Filed April 25, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet l 3nventor in may Dec. 1, 1936. MO RIS 2,062,899

DOOR AND DOORWAY CONSTRUCTION Filed April 25, 1932 4 Sheets- Sheet 2 I 3nvento1:

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Clttomeg Dec. 1, 1936. o s 2,062,899

DOOR AND DOORWAY CONSTRUCTION Filed April '25, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J lINVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 1, 1936. H. l. MORRIS 2,062,899

DOOR AND DOORWAY CONSTRUCTION Filed April 25, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BY an, 40w;

ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mesne assignments, to Overhead Door Corporation, Hartford City, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application April 25, 1932, Serial No. 607,261

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a doorway construction wherein an opening in the wall of a building is provided with a plurality of independently operable doors, whereby (a) one or more usable passages into and out of the building are provided, (b) the entire opening or any portion thereof of greater width than each door may be utilized, or (c) the intermediate space between the doors within the building is made accessible, when desired. Such convertibility is attained by the use of one or more removable mullions, which serve as intermediate members to divide the opening into passages or doorways, whereby separate and independently movable doors may be conveniently mounted and operated to permit access to any portion of the opening without opening the remaining portion; but by removing one or more mullions, one or more doorways may be converted into a single but larger opening, thereby providing for the ingress or egress of larger bodies or the ingress and egress of bodies between the spaces adjacent the doors, to avoid waste of such intermediate spaces. The doors may be movably mounted in various ways; for example when but two passages are provided, the doors may be of the hinged type or horizontally slidable type, as well as of the type herein shown. In the preferred form of construction, I use doors of the overhead type, slidable upwardly and downwardly; more particularly I prefer to use sliding doors each consisting of hinged-together sections, whereby it may be guided vertically and then substantially horizontally.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved door and doorway construction mounting a plurality of independently movable doors and having a removable mullion capable of being readily displaced.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of this type in which the mounting for the mullion permits of (a) substantially uniform counterbalancing thereof throughout its movement from its operative to inoperative position and in the opposite direction and (b) elimination of depending operating devices for moving the mullion in either direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mullion mounting capable of supporting a mullion in a predetermined-position, whereby it may be used as a guide means for adjacent doors but permitting bodily movement of the mullion to and from an inoperative position.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art to which my invention of doors 3.

relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a, fragmentary view of a building having doors and doorway construction embodying my invention, one door being shown open and theother door being shown closed; the view being taken from the inside of the building looking outwardly.

Fig. 2 is a. fragmentary section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the mullion partially removed from its operating position.

Fig. 4 isa section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, but showing the mullion in its inoperative position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

, Fig. 7 is a plan view of the anchoring member for the lower end of the mullion.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section substantially similar to Fig. 2, somewhat enlarged, with parts broken away. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section on the line 99 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is a. section on the line Ill-40 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 11 is a section substantially on the line Hll of Fig. 9, but showing the mullion in position.

In the drawings, I indicates the wall of a building, such wall being constructed to provide. an opening 2 adapted to be closed by a plurality The opening 2 may be of any desired width and the number of doors required will depend upon their width. For purposes of illustration I have shown two doors 3 and a mullion 4 disposed intermediate (preferably midway) the side walls 2a of the opening 2. Each door 3 is slidably mounted in aligned tracks or guide rails 5 having sections 6 disposed parallel to the plane of the opening 2 and securedto the wall in any suitable manner and sections I above the opening 2, the latter sections being extended inwardly relative to the opening 2, below the overhead structure la of the building I for well known reasons. The adjoining end portions of the track sections 6'|, 6-4 are curvilinear to form continuous tracks. Where the doors 3 are mounted in tracks 5 having this arrangement, they are of the sectional or panel type, the sections or panels being hinged together, as shown at 3a. Thetrack sections 6 adjacent the side walls 2a and the adjacent sections '1 are rigidly supported with respect to the walls 2a, Ia by any suitable means, elements of which are shown at 8; whereas the other respectively aligned track sections 6 are carried by the mullion 4 and the other respectively aligned track sections 1 are secured together by channel sections 9 (see Fig. 10) and the track sections are supported by a depending hanger 8' and a support 8a: The track sections 3 carried by the mullion 4 are operatively related to the adjacent sections I, respectively, to form continuous tracks when the mullion 4 is in operative position (Figs. 1 and 2), but are free to move with the mullion when it is moved to its inoperative position (Figs. 4 and 10).

Each door 3 is suitably counterbalanced to facilitate operation thereof from one position to another. The counterbalancing means for each door comprises a pair of coiled springs I2, corresponding ends of which are secured to the lower panel of the door (see Fig. 1), their opposite ends being suitably anchored and running over sheaves I3, I4.

Each of the sheaves I3, I4, is swingably mounted on a pivot I3a, carried by a device I3b and the latter is mounted on a pivot I3c suitably supported on the adjacent supporting member (see Fig. 10).

No claim is made herein to the counterbalancing means as it forms the subject-matter of my co-pending application Ser. No. 507,272, filed January 7, 1931.

The hinge pins for the hinges or pivotal connections which connect together the door panels of each door and which are disposed along their side edges, are extended and carry rollers I5 which roll on the tracks 5, as will be understood from Figs. 6 and 10. The mounting for the rollers I5 and the construction and arrangement of the tracks forms the subject-matter of my co-pending application Ser. No. 448,377, filed April 29, 1930, for which reason no claim for such subject-matter is made herein.

The mullion 4 comprises a pair of angle members I6, I6, connected together in spaced rel-ation by a plate H, the laterally extending flanges Iiia of the angle members carrying on their outer sides the track sections 6, these being preferably secured to the flanges I6a by bolts I8.

I9, 26, indicate separate means engaging the opposite end portions of the mullion and serving to guide and support it when moved to its inoperative position and during its movement to and from such position, one of said means comprising a counterbalance and the other means co-operating therewith in such manner that the weight on both ends of the mullion, as it moves from one position to the other, is equalized, so that no undue eiiort is required to operate the mullion and it may be moved in either direction in a ready manner and tendency of the counterbalancing means to move the mullion in either direction in any portion of its movement is eliminated; also, the counterbalancing means is so arranged that when the mullion is in operative position, it does not tend to move either end of the mullion laterally. These guiding and supporting means I9, 28, serve to bodily guide the mullion inwardly in a vertical plane at right angles to the opening 2. These means will be described later.

The mullion 4 when in its normal or operative position, detachably engages at its opposite ends holding devices, one comprising an anchor 2I fixed to the flooring and the other comprising locking and releasing elements 22. The anchor 2| consists of a casting secured to the floor by countersunk bolts 23 and having an up-standing wall 24 with which the plate II engages and on its opposite sides recesses 25 which are complementary to the walls of the track sections 6, the latter extending downwardly below the flanges I6a, as shown in Fig. 5 so as to project into the recesses 25, whereby the lower end of the mullion 4 is fixed or anchored against movement laterally in any direction.

The locking and releasing elements 22 consist of a spring operated bolt 26, slidable in a guide 21, and arranged to removably project into a socket 2'! formed in a block 28, suitably supported on the wall I, preferably in the support 8a. The guide 2'! is fixed to a U-shaped member 29 suitably secured to the flanges I6a (Fig. 10). The bolt 26 is normally forced upwardly by a spring, but is moved downwardly to release it from the block 28, by pull on a chain 30.

Of the supporting and guiding means I9, 3I indicates a track secured'to and carried by the channel sections 9 and extending substantially horizontally inwardly relative to the plane of the opening 2 and at right angles to such plane. The track 3| comprises spaced rails 3Ia, provided on the depending portions of an inverted U-member 32, which is suitably bolted to the channel sections 9. 33 indicates a trolley having up-standing lugs 34 each formed with an opening through which extends a shaft 35. 35 indicates rollers loosely mounted on the opposite ends of each shaft 35 and engaging the rails 3Ia. 31 indicates a'link pivoted at one end to the trolley 33 (preferably intermediate its ends) and at its opposite end pivoted to the upper end portion of the mullion 4. The link 3'! forms a suspension means between the trolley 33 and mullion 4 so that the latter may be readily connected to the block 28 or disposed in a horizontal position above the opening 2. The link 3? preferably comprises two sections the upper ends of which are mounted on the opposite ends of a pin 38 supported in a lug 39 depending from the trolley 33. The lower ends of the link sections extend between the track sections 6 and engage a pin 43 supported by the channels I6, such ends being spaced by a sleeve M. The link sections are of angular shape so that when the mullion 4 is moved (a) to its inoperative position (Fig. 4), these sections may accommodate the adjacent end of the mullion; or (b) to its operative position these sections accommodate the block 28 (Fig. 11)

The counterbalancing means 20 comprises a flexible member (preferably a cable) 42 guided over sheaves 43, 44, suitably supported on the wall I and provided at its outer end with a weight 45 (Fig. 1). The inner end of the cable 42 extends downwardly from the sheave 43 (which is positioned above the mullion 4) in front of the plate I 'I to the lower end of the mullion 4 to which it is connected in any suitable manner. For purposes of illustration, the inner end portion of the cable 42 is bent around a bushing 45 provided on a cross pin 47 and its free end is bent around a bushing 48, provided on a cross pin 49, and secured to the adjacent portion of the cable by a suitable clamp 50. The pins 4'! and 49 are supported by and between the channels I6. The central portion of the plate I? is shaped to form a longitudinal groove 5I in which the cable 42 lies to permit the mullion to be mounted substantially in a plane co-incident with the inner side of the walls 2a as well as to protect the cable when the mullion is in position.

Figs. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8 and 11 show the mullion in operative position, in which position the doors 3,

or either thereof may be operated in either direction. In this position, the lower end of the mullion 4 is anchored and its upper end is locked to the block 23. When it is desired to move the mullion to its inoperative position, the bolt 26 is pulled down and the upper end of the mullion 4 is moved inwardly as shown in Fig. 3 to disconnect it from the block 28. The mullion 4 then becomes suspended from the trolley 33. As this inward movement of the upper end is continued the lower end of the mullion disengages the anchor 2| and such end becomes supported or suspended by the counterbalancing means 213. If therefore the inward movement of the upper end of the mullion is continued, which movement is guided by the trolley 33 and its track, the counterbalancing means will support the lower end of the mullion and guide it upwardly until such end reaches the limit of its movement, preferably by engagement with the block 28.

After the upper end of the mullion is moved inwardly a short distance, further movement thereof may be efiected by pushing upwardly on its lower end portion. In replacing the mullion, its lower end portion is grasped or engaged by a rod having a hook and pulled downwardly, such operation serving to move the upper end of the mullion toward the opening 2, and its lower end is moved into interlocking engagement with the anchor 2|. When the mullion reaches the approximate position shown in Fig. 3, its upper end may be pushed into final position and locked.

It will be noted that in my form of construction the mullion 4 is bodily moved or guided in a plane extending at right angles to the opening 2 from one position to its other position and that its upper end is guided horizontally and its lower end is guided vertically. By reason of this arrangement and operation, the weight of the lower end of the mullion remains substantially the same throughout the movement of the mullion from and to either position; accordingly, by supporting such end by means of a counterbalance, the mullion may be readily operated from either position to its other position and no undue or unequal efiort is required to effect such operation.

To those skilled in the art to which my invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. My disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. In a door and door way construction, the combination with walls of a building forming an opening, of an elevated horizontal member, a member normally supported removably on the floor for the building in a vertical position with its upper end co-operatively related to the adjacent end of said horizontal member and arranged to divide said opening into passages and bodily movable to an in-operative position, aligned guides on the oppositev sides of said member and walls, sectional doors slidable in said guides for closing said passages, a separate guide on said horizontal member, a device movable along said separate guide, a link pivoted to each of said device and the upper end of said vertical member arranged to support said end when it is moved laterally, and a counterbalance connected to the lower end of said vertical member and serving to guide such end during bodily movement of said member.

2. In a door and door way construction, the combination with walls of a building forming an opening, of an elevated horizontal member, a member normally supported removably on the floor for the building in a vertical position with its upper end co-operatively related to the adjacent end of said horizontal member and arranged to divide said opening into passages and bodily movable to an in-operative position, aligned guides on the opposite sides of said member and walls, sectional doors slidable insaid guides for closing said passages, a separate guide on said horizontal member, a device movable along said separate guide, a link pivoted to each of said device and the upper end of said vertical member arranged to support said end when it is moved laterally, and a counterbalance connected to the lower end of said vertical member, said counterbalance serving as the guide for the lower end of said vertical member during movement thereof and co-operating with said device to permit bodily movement of said vertical member.

3. In a door and door way construction, the combination with walls of a building forming an opening, of an elevated horizontal member, a member normally supported removably on the floor for the building in a vertical position with its upper. end co-operatively related to the adjacent end of said horizontal member and arranged to divide said opening into passages and bodily movable. to .an in-operative position, interlocking elements between the lower end of said vertical memberand the floor, aligned guides on the opposite sides of said members and walls,

sectional doors slidable in said guides for closing said passages, a separate guide on said horizontal member, a device movable along said separate guide, a link pivoted to each of said device and the upper end of said vertical member arranged to support said end whenit is moved laterally, and a counterbalance connected to the lower end of said vertical member.

4. In a door and door way construction, the combination with walls of a building forming an opening, of an elevated horizontal member, a member normally supported removably on the floor for the building in a vertical position with its upper end co-operatively related to the adjacent end of said horizontal member and arranged to divide said opening into passages and bodily movable to an in-operative position, aligned guides on the opposite sides of said members and walls, sectional doors slidable in said guides for closing said passages, a separateguide on said horizontal member, a device movable along said separate guide, a link pivoted to each of said device and the upper end of said vertical member arranged to support said end when it is moved laterally, means independent of said device and said link for detachably holding the upper end of said vertical member when the latter is in normal position, and a counterbalance connected to the lower end of said vertical member. 

